#trail review

[campingsupplyco]

photo: Velvia50 in the mid day might be my favorite film.

Day 4, July 24.

The last 10 miles, home stretch, conclusion.

After an early start and getting camp packed away, we had breakfast together. All we could talk about was what we were going to eat when we got back to the city. I wanted Barbecue, baby back ribs, with mac and cheese, greens, mashed potatoes and corn bread with cold beer. We left camp at the same time 8:45am, but, in under 5 minutes her pace was too fast. This was the first time I had a chance to hike with someone but didn’t feel the need to keep up. I stopped to take a photo of some ferns, by the time I was finished she was out of sight. This stretch of hike reminded me of the first day, there wasn’t many people. It was getting lower in elevation which made it hotter. Also, less trees and being more exposed because some of the trail was scaling the canyon. But, morale was good, there was excitement similar to the first day, but, instead of the starting high it was the finishing high. Most of these miles went quick, close to a 3o minute a mile pace, and some walking became reckless. I could feel a hot spot on the ball of my foot, but, I didn’t want to address it because it felt so close to Roads End. I was almost out of film for the camera so I wasn’t really looking to take photos. I didn’t catch a fish on the whole Bubb’s Creek side, there was harder fishing spots on this side, and,  I was all fished out at this point, Everything was winding down, there was mixed emotions, part of me wanted to take my time an savor everything, find fishing spots, and even go home really late. On the other hand, I wanted to get out of there quickly and just reach my milage. It seemed like everyday out there was hotter than the last, and this day was no exception. The lower it got the hotter it was, and noon was here. It was mostly fast hiking through the hottest part of the day. Once off the switch backs of the canyon, it was back to tree cover, rivers, day hikers, kids and coolers. There was two miles left, people hike out here to jump in the river near the first bridge. I passed more people in this stretch of two miles in one hour than I did in the last three days and 39 miles. Part of the home stretch and finishing was surreal, passing the Roads End ranger station it probably looked like I was a zombie walking pasts crowds and not paying attention to anyone. There was no one there to greet me no one else wait for. I didn’t finish with a big smile on my face, I was glad to get there but I had no energy, my legs felt stiff and mushy at the same time. Walking on pavement and flat ground for the time in days made me wobbly and unbalanced, the flat stable ground was just not familiar.

conclusion

The first thing I did after leaving Roads End, was go to one of the popular swimming holes off the side of the road. The shock of cold water on my achey body felt soothing, everything tensed up, it felt like my body was trying to put all the muscles back where they belong. After an hour, waist deep in the river just fishing up and down an empty shaded area it was the most relaxed I have been. I wasn’t thinking about the hike I just did, the people around me didn’t care. Maybe it felt like I didn’t care, the hike didn’t set in yet. After awhile of fishing I was getting cold and I knew it was time to go back.  

I had a few solo car camping trips before this one, they were based on getting away from some kind of stress. This was the first trip that was just about me and camping, testing myself physically and mentally. There weren’t any demons to clear, so to speak. It was ambitious to want to fish, photograph, paint, lay in my hammock, and hike. This was the type of trip where hiking efficiency had to be on point. Fishing and photographing was sacrificed in order to hike efficiently. There was not much time to relax with anything. Hiking you had to focus on pace, terrain, and distances. Setting up camp, food, and water it was all on you. Even rest was a chore, breaks weren’t relaxing they felt like survival, or necessity to keep feet fresh, stay hydrated, stretch, and cool down. Fishing efficiency, total fishing time about two hours with 13 caught (one golden, five rainbows, seven brook). If I did the math right that is one caught every 9 minutes and 23 seconds.  The hike was the hardest I have done so far, I gained a lot of confidence for another long hike. 

[prettygirlshike-blog]

Trail Review: Billy Goat Trail

Location: We entered across from Old Angler's Inn, (10801 MacArthur Boulevard  Potomac, MD 20854)

Trails: Trail A - 4.7 miles round trip (which we hiked), Trail B - 2 miles round trip, Trail C - 2 miles round trip (all including the tow path on the way back

Type: Day hike, 2 - 3 hrs

Difficulty: Difficult

Supplies: Super sturdy hiking shoes, or sneakers with great treads, water bottle (I recommend a BPA free Camelbak, they make hiking life so much easier), small first aid kit, bug repellant

Features: Heavily rocky terrain, rock scrambles over boulders, one steep, 70 degree traverse, some muddy parts, gorgeous views of Mather Gorge

REVIEW:

Last weekend, my girlfriends and I hiked the famous Billy Goat Trail in Potomac, MD. We entered across from Old Angler's Inn, and walked a 1 mile towpath of the historic Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, before entering the actual trail. From the beginning there were moderate to strenuous rock scrambles in the woods, just before opening up to a breathtaking view of Mather Gorge. From here, we were jumping rocks, on the cliffs of the gorge. To our left was the Virginia side of the trail, and folks were white water rafting and canoeing down the Potomac. The blue trail markings made it easy to follow the path. The toughest part was the 70 degree rock traverse to Purple Horse Beach. You can definitely swim at this beach... The water is 20 feet deep once you swim about six feet out from the small shore... But uh.. I didn't. Anyway, after the touch rock scrambling, you are looped back around to the towpath, which is a little over a mile going back to Old Angler's Inn. Rough hike, but SO worth it. Great booty, thighs, quads, and core exercise.

The stunning scenery would make you imagine that you were transported back in time to early - Maryland, before development and technological innovation spoiled it's natural bucolic gorgeousness. I'll def make this one of my more frequent hiking trips.

Recommendations:

Before entering the trail, make sure you're fully hydrated, and have taken a B-Complex for energy. Get plenty of sleep the night before, and don't come to the trail with a hangover. You'll DEFINITELY feel it. You should also hose yourself down with bug repellant, especially during the summer months. Not just because of mosquitoes, but because there are several bee traps along this trail, use OFF! Smooth and Dry. Most of this trail IS a rock scramble, so no, there aren't a whole lot of trees, and yes, you will get tan, and you know pretty girls have to keep their skin looking gorgeous. Please use sunscreen. It's just smart.

Last recommendation. Don't just speed through this trail. Stop, and take a minute to take in all that nature has to offer. Take pictures, breath in the clean, CO2 free air, forget about work, personal frustration, and take in all the positive energy that the trees, water, sun and sky emit. Trust me, you'll thank me later.

[soarmtb-blog]

Lincoln Parish Park Trail Review

[connie-awanderingsoul]

King Mountain Trail

The directions to reach this hike are to take OR-8 W/ Gales Creed Road, Turn right onto OR-8W, Turn left onto OR-6W/NW Wilson RIver Hwy on with you will see signs for Glenwood / Tillamook, Turn right onto Elk Creek Road, Turn left to stay on Elk Creek Road, Elk Creek Road turns right and becomes West Fork Elk Creek Road. The trail head is close to mile marker 25 and has a small bathroom as well as quite a bit of parking. The trail head is to the right of the parking.  This hike is 5 miles with a 2500 ft elevation gain. It can be a loop if you head on to Elk Mountain but if you only want to do the one trail it is a up the mountain and back down the same way you came hike. 

The level of difficulty on this trail is "Connie Broke a Sweat many times and I felt the burn Level" We went through about 2 and a half mid size bottles of water. You really want to hit this trail early to take advantage of cool weather, pack some food and wear some shoes with lots of grip. A walking stick would be nice there are some parts where you have to double over to get up rocky steep parts of the trail.5:48 The first time we tried King Mountain Trail we did not finish. We headed out too late in the day to take advantage of the coolness. We also had two dogs with us who were getting pretty tired out. The guides list this as an easy day trip trail. I am prone to disagree. While it is short it really gets the cardiovascular work out going and is continues in its steep grade for most of the hike. What it lacks in length it makes up for in challenging incline and your calves and thighs will feel the burn. My husband and I are not in great shape and moved up the trail at a steady but not speedy pace.

We were lucky enough to view an amazing site this morning. We were nervously chatting back and forth as we headed up the trail head about not being sure if we were ready for this challenge when we heard loud cracking of branches and something very large moving through the woods. The last hike we had gone on here had presented us with a tree with huge claw marks in the side. I am not used to seeing huge animals in the woods so I instantly started being worried that it might be a bear. I thought if we kinda make some noise going up the trail it would scare off anything that might be lurking. My husband bravely looked around though and we got to see two large elk. They were the most incredible thing I have ever seen. They are a dark chocolate brown. I think they were both female because they had no horns. They gently moved up the hill and away from us. I have seen an innumerable number of deer in my life but this was outside of the ball park. Their massive size was just astounding. The whole experience in combination with the beautiful silent morning woods made us both feel very small and so lucky. As we moved further along the trail the wind started to pick up. The silence of the morning was replaced by the talking trees. The young trees made little squeaks while the older trees gowned and almost growled. Leaves fluttered down around us and littered the trail. They were not dead leaves or fall in color but bright green. The wind was really moving. It left the whole space feeling very alive. It felt as if some very old spirits were moving around us feverishly. Strong forest smells were carried to our noses and again we were reminded of how small we are. The first part of this trail is very steep. Its like the test before you head on. There is a stretch that goes from the parking lot up up up to a stump where both times we have done this trail we have stopped really breathing heavy and have wondered if we can handle this trail. We always press on and the trail seems less daunting but it is always a moment of contemplation for us; wondering if we have the Oregon grit these other hikers seem to have. People pass us chatting away as if they are on a sunday stroll sometimes. It makes us feel like saps. haha! The trail seems to be divided into three sections. The lower section is very shaded with pines covered in thick green moss. The floor of the forest is chest deep in ferns. Clovers are everywhere making little staggered shelves on the rotting fallen logs. Most of the trees are small in diameter but there are stumps with charred remnants on the side everywhere. I have not been to an old growth forest yet and can not fathom the hight these trees must once have been. The second section lets a little more light in. You can view other mountains through gaps in the trees. Small red pipe like plants grow here and the moss is short and thick on the ground. The trail has a soft coating of pine needles here and the trail is smooth with mid size rocks and balls of dirt on the trail that will quickly put you on your butt on the way down if you are not careful. The third and last part of the trail teases you with blue sky poking through the trees as you round a bend. There are lots of dead wind blown trees around and the trail can become rocky. Some of the rock you can use as steps and other times you have to use your hands as you double over to get up the taller sets of rock inclines. There are open spaces in the trees where you can sep out and start to see the vistas. We missed the 2000ft mark but could tell we had moved past the point we had turned around before. We seemed to make it up these parts faster this time then the first. I still had to take lots of stops pretending to need to take photos so I could catch my breath. A few more hikers then there were in the morning were on the trail. Roger laughed at us because we were so tired and they were buzzing up the trail. I reminded him we put on our best faces too when we come across people and maybe they were doing the same. It is harder when you don't know what is next. I tend to navigate with markers of things I have seen before. Old stumps or cool rock outcrops. I could tell we were getting there though when there were large rock outcrops starting to jut out of the forest along the trail. Blue sky shown as we started to move along a more narrow part of the mountain. The trail also became more jagged and exciting. We made it up to a large clearing. On the left was a gnarled skelliton of a old magnificent tree with a 3000ft sign posted on it. The trail had lots of loose ping pong ball size rock on it. The edge of the cliff dropped off creating a stunning and humbling view below. I have never seen anything like this in my life. We did hike some pretty steep stuff in Maine. This didn't look out upon a sea of blue though but rather a sea of green. The impact of logging was drastically visable. You could see where massive amounts of erosion had swept the sides of the mountains where the trees were gone. Most of the forests were in tact though and it was incredible. We were able to get a peek of the road that had gotten us here with the river running along it. Smaller creeks cut serpentine patters in the valley. We signed the guest book and Roger took a shot of me sitting viewing the valley. On our 5 year wedding anniversary he took a similar shot of me at the top of the Precipice in Arcadia in Maine. September 1st was our 10 year anniversary and this was the most fantastic way to celebrate it. We started the tough decent; the part you will be glad to have good shoes for and made it to our car. After we got home we took a nice long nap. This was a fantastic day!

[connie-awanderingsoul]

Cape Lookout Oregon

This weekend we spent all of our hike time at Cape Lookout. Though these trails are short they are my favorite so far. I like the whole package. I like the drive from Forest Grove down to Tillamook and I like the trails. I like that they are peaceful and that often we can have the beach to ourselves. 

I am still having a hard time wrapping my brain around the concept that it can be 97 degrees in Forest Grove and 60 at the ocean. The fog was in on both days and where the trees were heavy and the elevation was right the condensation created a pretty good rain. 

We need to revisit the Lookout sometime when it isn't as foggy. I didn't mind too much that we couldn't see out when we go there though because the hike was really fun. The cool weather made my dogs really spunky and Ozzy loves roots and tangles on a trail. We splashed through the mud and hurried along only stopping to snap a few awesome pictures. I kept my camera in the bag for the most part to avoid the moisture. 

I had worn shorts and didn't bring a coat because it was so insane hot out at home. My legs were bright pink from the cold after. It was well worth it though. I could hike forever in the cooler weather and it was a nice escape from our air condition less house. 

The road out to the Triple Arches seems to be under construction at the moment so we will try and hit those next summer. You can see them on a clear day way out in the bay area. They look impressive even from a distance!

You can find more reviews of hikes here in Oregon along with other interesting experiences I have collected at http://connie-randomactsofthought.blogspot.com